Abstract: Clamping jaws assembly includes an elongate arm carrying pivotally at one end thereof a clamp body which itself supports pivotally two jaws on spaced parallel axes and a rod inter-connecting the jaws to limit their opening movement.A double-acting actuator connects one of the jaws and the arm and a telescopic, spring-loaded, device interconnects the clamp body and the arm.The actuator serves to pivot one of the jaws in relation to the other and beyond a predetermined part of its stroke also causes the whole of the clamp body to pivot about the arm so as to move outward of the plane on which the jaws take up workpieces.

Abstract: A telescopic leg suspension comprising a lower wheel-supporting element connected by an articulated lever to the structure of the vehicle, an upper element articulated to the structure and serving to guide the lower element, these two elements being able to slide and possibly rotate in relation to each other and a device for causing pressurized liquid to act between the elements in such a way that the liquid tends to separate these two elements axially one from the other.One of the two elements comprises a tubular member having at one end a bore and a piston adapted to slide sealingly in this bore, the pressurized liquid being contained in this member whereas the other element comprises a cylinder surrounding the member, this cylinder being closed at one end by a bottom against which the piston bears, guiding between the two elements being provided between the cylinder and the member.This invention applies more particularly to a suspension for a motor vehicle steering wheel.

Abstract: The universal joint according to the invention comprises a drive element provided with at least two ball-races cooperating with rollers borne by a hub fast to a driven shaft, the outer surface of the drive element being substantially parallel with the inner surface of this element and including concave areas. It includes an insert having an inner surface which mates the outer surface of the drive element, while the outer surface of this insert has a convex contour to serve as a support for a sealing sheath, the insert ensuring filling of the concave areas. This insert is notably of plastics material over-molded on the drive element.

Abstract: A vehicle has a rear deck for covering a luggage boot. The deck is formed by a removable shelf adjacent the back of the rear seat and which covers a part of the boot and a roller curtain which can be extended to cover the remainder of the boot. The shelf also carries at least one roller blind, in the form of a sun blind, which can be extended to lie in front of the rear window.

Abstract: A grinding head has at least one expandable grinding tube mounted on an expansion cone. The expansion cone is carried by, and is rotatable with, an expansion rod which is coupled for rotation with a driven part of the head. The expansion rod and cone are movable by means of a ram to cause expansion and contraction of the grinding tube. The connection between the ram and expansion cone via the expansion rod includes helical coupling means whereby to cause a step-down in the effective stroke of the ram as applied to the expansion cone, which enables high accuracy in the expansion and contraction of the grinding tube.

Abstract: The invention concerns seat structures comprising a seat mounted to pivot through about 180.degree. about a transverse axis located in the vicinity of its front part and a backrest which is capable of being swung over forwardly through about 90.degree. about a transverse axis located adjacent its lower part. According to the invention, on at least one side of the seat there is provided a handle which is mounted on the seat to pivot about a transverse axis, this handle being associated with a protecting panel which is disposed flat under the seat in the normal position of use and is raisable so as to be roughly perpendicular to the seat in the utility position. In this position, the handle defines a support surface for the seat in the utility position.Application to vehicles of the semi-utility or break type.

Abstract: A mounting arrangement for a transversely mounted engine-drive unit in which the engine-drive unit is connected to a vehicle sub-frame by structure preventing longitudinal movement between the unit and the sub-frame while permitting limited vertical movement therebetween with the engine-drive unit carrying the driven axle while the non-driven axle is mounted on the sub-frame and a self-supporting body is resiliently connected to the sub-frame and to the engine-drive unit. The connecting structure also permits slight pivoting movements around a transverse axis.

Abstract: This device comprises a rectifier-inverter supplied with current by the mains and adapted to deliver a charging current to the battery in the course of the charging periods of the battery and to restore to the mains the discharge current of the battery in the course of the discharging periods of the battery, a direct current chopper for chopping the current of the battery at an available conduction rate in the course of the simulation of the cycle of operation, a switch connected between the rectifier-inverter and the chopper and circuits for automatically controlling the chopper, the switch and the rectifier-inverter as a function of the cycle of operation of the battery to be simulated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved suspension for a group of wheels of a vehicle comprising longitudinal torsion bars coupled to the wheels outside longitudinal rails and to an elastic stabilizer bar by means of a connecting piece. According to the invention, the bar extends in a part beyond the torsion bar, which part is capable of abutting on an elastic stop placed between it and a fixed part of the structure when the load of the vehicle exceeds a certain threshold. The invention is more particularly applicable to automobile construction.

Abstract: The device comprises a connecting pipe which interconnects the exhaust pipe and the induction pipe of the engine. Valve means are inserted in the connecting pipe and the portion of the connecting pipe between the valve means and the exhaust pipe and the portion between the induction pipe and the valve means are short and of large section. The section of the passage through the valve means, defined by a cylinder formed in a seat, is small relative to the section of the connecting pipe and the valve member which cooperates with the seat has a cylindrical end portion whose diameter is slightly less than the diameter of the cylinder and whose length is slightly greater than the length of the seat.

Abstract: An elastically yieldable block structure comprising a block of elastomer interconnecting two armatures and defining at least two cavities which are filled with liquid and communicate with each other. One cavity is a main center cavity which is provided in the block and has walls which have a high resistance to the inner pressure of the liquid and the other cavity is a lateral cavity which communicates with the center cavity. At least a part of the lateral walls of the lateral cavity or cavities has a low resistance to the inner pressure of the liquid.

Abstract: The two parts of a splined coupling are held together axially by a resilient split locking ring. The locking ring is seated in grooves of the two parts, which are formed in the splines of the parts. The ring is formed from a stainless steel having a nitrided hardened surface layer to resist galling or damage to the ring as a result of the spline notched sides of the grooves.

Abstract: The device is very simple but effective and comprises a tube or sleeve of flexible elastomer fixed to a cup which is rigid with the rod of the shockabsorber. This sleeve has at least one series of slits which extend in a direction parallel to the generatrices of the sleeve and its free edge is in the vicinity of a bearing surface so that, in the course of a relative displacement between the rod and the body toward the position of maximum depression of the rod, the sleeve is deformed in a region in which the rod is however protected by the body or by a conventional protecting gaiter.

Abstract: The invention provides a simpler and cheaper arrangement of the support for the lower guide means of each wheel in a front set of wheels having independently suspended wheels. This is achieved by providing a cross-member which is fixed under the side-frames of the vehicle and ties which are fixed to the side-frames and are supported by the cross-member. End portions of the ties extend beyond the cross-member and act as a journal for pivotally mounting the ends of the transverse guide arms.Application in particular in MacPherson type suspensions.

Abstract: A bumper structure comprising at least two flexure elements extending transversely between two abutment zones situated at their ends.The two flexure elements are connected together at their middle part; the moment of inertia of a first element, in the longitudinal direction L, is minimal in the middle part and increases on each side up to a maximum value for a section S, then decreases as far as the ends 2e; the second element presents, in its middle part, the section having the maximum moment of inertia, the moment of inertia of the sections of this second element decreasing on each side as far as the ends.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a suspension for a set of wheels of a vehicle, in which the wheels are rotatably carried by the end of an axle arm of which the hub is mounted to rotate at the end of a cross member fast with the structure of the vehicle. According to the invention, the suspension is constituted by two torsion bars coupled for each of them between one of the arms and an element fast with the structure. Each torsion bar extends parallel to the axis of the hub and to the exterior thereof, and is immobilized in rotation by one of its ends on the corresponding arm and by the other of its ends on the element which is located in the vicinity of the other arm. The hub of each of the arms is movable in translation along its axis with respect to the cross member. The invention finds particular application to the automobile industry.

Abstract: The seat structure comprises a seat proper and a backrest. The seat proper is mounted on the floor of the vehicle to pivot about a first transverse axis and the backrest is mounted on the seat proper to pivot about a second transverse axis. At least one link is connected at one end to the base part of the backrest to pivot about a third transverse axis and connected at the opposite end thereof to the floor of the vehicle to pivot about a fourth transverse axis. The seat proper and the link form two crossed arms of a device for deploying in the horizontal position the backrest relative to the seat proper upon a pivoting of the latter through about 180.degree. about the first axis in the forward direction relative to the vehicle.

Abstract: The gauge comprises a float guided by a pivotal arm and associated with a sliding contact which cooperates with a rheostat. The rheostat is wound on a tube which is placed vertically in the tank. The sliding contact guided by this tube is connected to the float by a flexible thread-like element which extends around upper and lower pulleys. The lower pulley is directly connected by the flexible element to the point at which this element is connected to the float.

Abstract: The device comprises a first belt portion which extends between a winder mounted on the door of the vehicle and a first belt support mounted on the upper rear part of the door, and a second belt portion forming a cross-belt which extends between the belt support and an anchoring point located substantially in the central part of the vehicle. The second belt portion is extended, in passing through a second belt support constituting the anchoring point, by a third belt portion which constitutes an abdominal belt. An end part of the third belt portion is connected to the first belt portion so as to cause this end part to be raised when the belt is extended upon opening the door.

Abstract: A device comprising receiving means mounted on the vehicle, means for establishing an electrical reference voltage corresponding to the speed limit and means for controlling the speed of the vehicle response to the electrical reference voltage. It comprises a capacitor used as a memory connected to the speed control means and means for updating the voltage at the terminals of the capacitor, adapted for connecting an electrical voltage source to the terminals of the capacitor when the vehicle enters the information transmission field, then to isolate the capacitor from this voltage source after a given time.